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T eaching is like going on a road ip… By: Kassia Dearing

Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

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Page 1: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

Teaching is like going on a road trip…

By: Kassia Dearing

Page 2: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing
Page 3: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

Before you start on your road trip you must ensure that everyone is buckled up and safe. Much like a seatbelt, students need to feel safe within a classroom and trust that the teacher has their best interests at heart. Creating a inclusive classroom environment where everyone feels safe will ensure that all travellers will have a great trip this year.  

BUCKLE UP

Page 4: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

Taking a road trip, much like being a teacher, starts by planning with the end goal in mind. Where do I want to go? What do I want to see? Teachers must also take into account what steps along the way will help them get to their ‘destination’ effectively. It is important to remember that it is not just the end goal that matters, but it is the meaningful learning experiences the students have along the way. No two trips are the same and it is the experiences you gain along the way that make a trip memorable.

PICKING A DESTINATION

START HERE  

Page 5: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

Rest stops are places where people stop to take a breath and relax. Teaching, at times, can take a teacher out of their comfort zone and challenge them to try something new. Teachers must remain flexible and adaptable to be able to handle the array of situations that may come their way. This means that travellers also need a break from riding in the car and do something different. Using novelty and variety within your classroom will keep your students on their toes.

REST STOPS

Page 6: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

When going on a road trip packing can seem like a daunting task. There are so many different shapes and sizes of suitcases you must fit into your car. Every suitcase is different and comes with a very different story of where they have been. Much like suitcases, no two students are a like. We must provide a classroom where diversity and inclusion of our students is at the forefront. Ensuring that we differentiate for the needs of all of a learners is a challenge but it is worthwhile when you receive the satisfaction of a well packed car.

PACKING UP YOUR CAR

Page 7: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

USING YOUR MAP

A map is meant to help guide you towards your destination. Your route is never set in stone and don’t be afraid to let your companion chose the next route of travel. Working as a team, you will arrive at your destination safely, and it will be a memorable trip for you both.

Page 8: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

WEATHER          Whether it is a rainy day or a sunny day, the road trip must carry on. Just like the weather outside may change our outlook on the trip, our own personal emotions can change the weather in our classroom. We as teachers, must remember that we are the weather we bring into our classroom and if we want a positive classroom environment we need to create it for ourselves.

Page 9: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

 It  is  easy  to  keep  your  foot  on  the  gas  and  work  to  get  to  the  des4na4on  as  quickly  as  possible,  but  you  must  always  remember  to  STOP  and  enjoy  yourself.  It  is  not  always  about  ge=ng  there  the  quickest,  it  is  about  taking  the  4me  to  enjoy  the  li>le  things  along  the  way  that  makes  a  trip  memorable.    

 As  a  teacher,  you  must  take  -me  to  celebrate  the  accomplishments  of  your  students  along  the  way  and  value  the  learning  experience  as  much  as  the  end  result.  This  is  why  I  believe  forma4ve  assessment  is  the  key  to  the  students  working  towards  a  deeper  level  of  understanding  and  increasing  their  mo4va4on  to  learn.    

STOP LIGHT

Page 10: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

ROAD BLOCK

  A ROAD BLOCK symbolizes the unexpected situations that can arise in teaching. No matter how much planning and preparation you have done for your trip you cannot predict that a road block is coming. A teacher must be able to adapt to unexpected situations and be able to come up with solutions that have a positive impact on student behaviour. Remaining calm in stressful situations is important because we should model the behaviours we wish to see in the classroom.

Page 11: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

 As the trip gets underway make sure to stop and FUEL UP before your tank is empty. The last thing you want to happen is to be in the middle of nowhere, with no cellphone reception and an empty tank of gas.

This relates to teaching because a teacher must make sure that they do not spread themselves too thin and cause themselves to burnout. If a teacher tries to do too much, other areas of their teaching will suffer. Getting to know our students and building relationships with them allows us to fill our teaching gas tank. We need to have a balance in our lives to ensure that we are giving the best of ourselves to our students, because they deserve it!

FUELING UP

Page 12: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

         You must look back at where you came from to know exactly where you need to go in the future. I believe that self-reflection is an important aspect of being a teacher. We as teachers should take our experiences that we have had throughout the year and reflect upon what went well and what did not go as well, to improve upon ourselves for the next year. Trials and tribulations that we experience in our teaching career make us grow as individuals and reaching our end goal makes it all worthwhile.

CHECKING YOUR REARVIEW MIRROR

Page 13: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

ENJOYING THE COMPANY          Take time to get to know your travel companions and build relationships. We must build a strong foundation with our students to ensure success throughout the year. The more you connect with your students the easier it will be to get them to buy into what you are saying. Take time aside from curricular outcomes and get to know your students for who they are.

Page 14: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

                               Just like mountains, there are UPS AND DOWNS in the profession of teaching. Teachers have their good days and their bad days, some lessons work and others do not, but it is how we persevere through these situations that is important when teaching. These steep climbs can burn a lot of fuel out of our teaching tanks but remember that you are working towards reaching your destination and that reward will be enough to fill our tanks back up to full. Always remember why you chose this profession, to make a difference in kids lives and that should be enough fuel to get your car up any mountains you may face.

MOUNTAINS

Page 15: Teaching is like going on a road trip - Kassia Dearing

“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the

responsibility for changing them.” -Denis Waitley